The chant was 55 years in the making, delayed a couple days by disaster and delivered by a sold-out crowd that wasn't missing this party no matter what it took to get there.

"Brook-lyn! Brook-lyn!"

Those were the lyrics of a rocking return to major pro sports.

"That gave me jitters, man. Chills," guard Joe Johnson said. "I know that these fans want the best for this team. All they want from us is to work hard and give them a show."

Brook Lopez scored 27 points, Deron Williams added 19 points and nine assists, and the Nets beat the Toronto Raptors 107-100 on Saturday night in the first game at Barclays Center.

A crowd of 17,732 that included entertainers Jay-Z, a part-owner, and wife Beyonce chanted the borough's name a few times during the game and loudly at the end, celebrating the name on the front of the shirt much more than the back.

And with good reason. Brooklyn hasn't had a team to cheer since the Dodgers left for Los Angeles after the 1957 season.

Nets coach Avery Johnson said there was so much that was special about the game, which came two nights after the team's scheduled opener was postponed because travel around the city was wrecked by superstorm Sandy.

"Let's just start with the fact that we're in Brooklyn now, and it's a big difference," the coach said. "You saw the crowd tonight, even under the circumstances. Not only did we have a sellout, they were into the game."

C.J. Watson finished with 15 points, and Joe Johnson had 14 for the Nets, who needed a home as badly as Brooklyn needs a team, and Avery Johnson said it's close to a perfect match.

Celtics 89, Wizards 86:

Paul Pierce scored 27 points, and visiting Boston got its first win. ... Washington's only scoring in the first eight minutes came on Kevin Garnett's goaltending call, and Pierce hit a three-point shot down the stretch.

Pacers 106, Kings 98:

George Hill scored 18 points, including the first four in the second overtime, as host Indiana won in double overtime. ... Marcus Thornton scored 26 points for Sacramento.

Trail Blazers 95, Rockets 85:

Rookie Damian Lillard scored 20 points, including eight in overtime, and Portland slowed down James Harden, who scored 24 points in his home debut after scoring 82 points in his first two games. ... LaMarcus Aldridge added 27 points and 11 rebounds for Portland.

Mavericks 126, Bobcats 99:

Bucks 105, Cavaliers 102:

Brandon Jennings hit a three-pointer at the buzzer as Milwaukee won at home. ... Kyrie Irving scored 27 points for Cleveland.

Heat 119, Nuggets 116:

Ray Allen had a four-point play with 6.7 seconds left that put Miami ahead for good, Chris Bosh scored 40 points, and the Heat held off visiting Denver. ... LeBron James finished with 20 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds.